Roller assembly



Sept. 2, 1958 D. c. HAMMAN 2,850,333

' ROLLER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26. 1956 Sept. 2, 1958 v D. c HAMMAN ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed April 26. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J05 10g g Y 56w INVENTOR.

fewer 6174mm ROLLER ASSEMBLY Denver (I. Hamman, Palatine, 112., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, EL, a corporation of Illinois Application April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,927

9 Claims. (Cl. 308-6) The present invention relates to a novel roller assembly, and, more particularly, to a novel roller assembly especially useful in regulator or lifting mechanisms for automobile windows and the like.

Window regulator mechanisms now in use for automobiles and the like usually include a carriage member connectable with a lower margin of a window, a fixed track member, and pivotally supported linkage means having elements connected to the track member and to track portions of the carriage member by roller assemblies. Such roller assemblies heretofore in use have been constructed so as yieldably to engage opposite surfaces of a track whereby to insure proper engagement and to eliminate window rattling, and such rollers usually include as many as six separate elements so that they are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture and assemble.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel roller assembly for use in automobile window regulator mechanisms or the like, which roller assembly is of simplified construction and has a substantially reduced number of separate elements for facilitating easier and more economical manufacturing thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel window roller assembly of the above described type which is adapted yieldably to engage generally opposing surfaces of track means so as substantially to eliminate window rattling.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel roller assembly which may be mounted on a pin or shaft of a window regulating mechanism or the like easily and without the aid of auxiliary or separate retaining means such as a cotter pin, snap ring or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing an automobile window regulating system incorporating roller assemblies constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the novel roller assembly of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a pin or stub shaft of the window regulator mechanism on which the roller assembly is to be mounted;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partially in cross section of the novel roller assembly of this invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a main body portion of the roller assembly;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 83 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a modified form of the present invention taken along line 9-9 in Fig. 10;

7 ice Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the main body portion of the modified roller assembly.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a regulator or lifting mechanism utilizing roller assemblies 22 involving the principles of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This mechanism is adapted to be housed within a door or body portion 24 of an automobile or the like for supporting a window 26. While the description of the present invention is facilitated by relating it particularly to a window regulator mechanism, it is to be understood that various other uses for the novel roller assembly may suggest themselves.

The window mechanism 20 comprises a carriage member 28 adapted to receive and support the lower margin of the window 26 and to be raised and lowered within the body or door 24. The carriage member 28 is connected in the manner described in detail below to upper ends of a pair of crossing levers 30 and 32 which are pivotally connected to each other intermediate their ends by a pin 34. A lower end portion of the lever 30 is pivotally mounted on a pin 36 carried by a bracket or the like 38 fixed with respect to the automobile body or door 24. The lower end of the lever 32 is connected in a manner also to be described in detail below with a track member 40 secured to the wall of the body or door 24. A gear segment 42 is secured to or made integral with lower end of the lever 30 so that the center of the fixed pivot 36 is also the center of the gear segment. A pinion 44 carried by a suitably supported shaft 46 and actuated by the usual handle 48 meshes with the gear segment 42 so that when the handle is rotated the gear segment and, thus, the mechanism 20 is actuated selectively to raise or lower the window.

The carriage member 28 which is formed from sheet metal is provided with a pair of substantially identical but oppositely arranged elongated horizontal track portions 50 and 52, and the track member 40 is provided with a similar elongated horizontal track portion 54. Pin members or stub shafts 56 and 58 are secured to upper ends of the levers 30 and 32 respectively and a similar pin or stub shaft 60 is secured to the lower end of the lever 32. A roller assembly 22 is mounted on each of the pins or stub shafts respectively for interengagement with the track portions 50, 52 and 54. Since the groups of associated elements including a stub shaft, a roller assembly and a track portion are essentially identical only the pin 56, track portion 56 and associated roller assembly will be described in detail.

As shown best in Figs. 2 and 8 the track portion 50 is formed by slitting the carriage member 28 and bending sections of the member 28 at opposite sides of the slit so as to provide elongated and opposed generally V-shaped portions 62 and 64. The pin 56 has a main shank portion 66 which is provided with an annular groove 68 for the purpose described below. A reduced diameter end portion 7t) of the pin is adapted to be inserted through an aperture in the lever 36 and upset for connecting the pin to the lever.

The roller assembly 22 comprises a tubular body portion 72 adapted to be rotatably mounted on the pin 56 and preferably formed from a suitable plastic material such as nylon. The body portion 72 has a diameter less than the width of the slot defined by the V-shaped track portions 62 and 64 so that the roller body portion may extend freely through the slot in the manner shown. A radially extending flange 74 is formed integrally with an outer end of the tubular body portion 72 and is provided with a bevelled surface 76 engageable with generally outwardly facing leg sections of the V-shaped track portions 62 and 64.

The roller assembly 22 is provided with a one-piece resilient sheet'inetal member. 78 which is adapted to insure proper engagement of the roller assembly with the track portions and also to rotatably connect the roller assembly with the pin or stub shaft 56. More specifically, the member 78 includes a bevelled annular portion 80 slidably disposed on the roller body portion 72 in opposing relationship to the bevelled flange 74. The portion 80 is adapted to engage the generally inwardly facing leg sections of the V-shaped track portions 62 and 64. Furthermore, the annular portion 80 is resiliently biased so that the track portions 62 and 64 are resiliently clamped between the flange 74 and the annular por-' tion 80 so as to insure proper engagement with the track portions and to eliminate rattling of the window.

In order to bias the annular portion 80 resiliently, the member 78 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced integral spring elements 82. Each of the spring elements 82 includes an intermediate portion 84- extending generally radially inwardly from an axially extending portion 86 integrally connecting it with the annular portion 80. Each portion 84 also merges with a reversely bent portion 88 from which extends a generally radially outwardly projecting portion 90. The portion 90, in turn, merges with a reversely bent portion 92 which is integral with a generally radially inwardly extending terminal end portion 94. The main plas= tic body portion 72 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 96 adjacent its inner end into which the terminal end portions 94 of the spring elements extend for anchoring the member 78 to the plastic body. It should also be noted that as is shown best in Figs. 7 and 8, the terminal end portions 94 extend through the plastic body and into the groove 68' in the pin or stub shaft 56 when the roller assembly is applied to the pin for operatively and rotatably con necting the roller assembly with the pin.

In order .to permit the roller assembly to be con nected with the track portion 50, an enlarged opening 98 is provided through the carriage member 28 at the outer end of the track portion. Similar enlarged openings are provided at ends of the other track portions. As shown best in Figs. and 8 respectively the one-piece sheet metal member 78 is formed so that the bevelled annular portion initially substantially abuts the flange of the plastic rollers body whereby to insure shifting of the annular portion 80 away from the flange upon application of the roller assembly to the track portion. As a result, initial stressing of the spring elements is assured so as to obtain proper resilient engagement of the opposed.

bevelled surfaces of the roller assembly with opposed surfaces of the track portions.

In Figs. 9, and 11 there is shown a modified form of the present invention which is similar to the above described structure as indicated by the application of identical reference numerals with the suflix a added to corresponding elements. In this embodiment a reduced diameter and relatively flexible end portion 100 of the plastic body portion 72a is axially split as at 102 and 104 and is provided with terminal radially inwardly extending flange elements 106 and an outwardly extend-' ing flange 108. The flange elements 106 project within the internal diameter of the remainder of the body portions 72a so that when the roller assembly is applied to the pin or stub shaft 56a, the split end portion 100 is first expanded until the flange elements 106 are aligned with the groove 68a of the pin. Then the inherent resiliency of the plastic material causes the split end portion to contract so that the flange elements 106 are snapped into and retained within the groove 68a for rotatably connecting the roller assembly with the P 1- Jn this embodiment the flexure springelements 82a invention has provided a novel roller assembly including only two simple parts which may be readily manufactured and assembled in an economical manner. It is also seen that the present invention has provided a roller assembly which may be easily applied to a window regulator mechanism or the like without the aid of auxiliary fastening devices and which is capable of effectively resiliently engaging cooperable track means so as to insure a tight fit and to eliminate rattling.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows: 1. A roller assembly comprising roller body means, a

a pair of oppositely facing generally radially extending and relatively axially shiftable annular means on said body means for engaging generally oppositely facing surfaces of a track means, and flexure spring means integral with a relatively short circumferentially limited extent of a margin of one of said annular means spaced radially outwardly from said body and connected with said body means radially inwardly from said margin for resiliently biasing said pair of annular means relative to each other and toward generally oppositely facing surfaces of a trac means. I

2. A roller assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein said pair of annular means provide generally oppositely facing diverging track engageable surfaces for accommodating a generally V-shaped portion of a track means.-

3. A roller assembly comprising roller body means including generally radially extending flange means engageable with one surface of track means, and a one-piece resilient sheet material member including annular substantially circumferentially continuous means axially slidable on said body means in opposing relationship with respect to said flange means for engaging a surface of track means facing generally oppositely from saidone' surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced flexure spring elements integral with said annular means and connected to said body means for resiliently biasing said annular means and said flange means relatively toward each other.

4. A roller assembly comprising a roller body mem ber rotatably mountable on a shaft having an annular groove therein,'annnlar means on said body member for engaging a track means surface facing generally in one direction, and a one-piece resilient sheet material member including annular mea'nsfor engaging a track means surface facing generally oppositely from said one sur= face,said first and second mentioned annular means being axially relatively shiftable with respect to each other, said sheet material member including flexure'spring means connected with said body member for resiliently and 0ppositely relatively biasing said first and second annular portion of said body member, said body member end 5 portion being resiliently expandable or enabling said flange means to be snapped into a groove in a shaft.

7. A roller assembly, as defined in claim 4, wherein said body member and said first mentioned annular means are integral and are formed of plastic material.

8. A roller assembly, as defined in claim 4, wherein said flexure spring means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring elements each having one end integral With said second mentioned annular means, an opposite end connected with said body member, and an intermediate portion extending at least in part transversely of said body member.

9. A roller assembly comprising a one-piece plastic roller body, including a generally radially extending flange engageable with one surface of track means, and a onepiece sheet material member including an annular relatively rigid portion slidable on and flaring outwardly from said body means in opposing relationship With respect to said flange for engaging a surface of track means facing generally oppositely from said one surface, and a plurality of separate fiexure spring elements each having one end integral with a margin of said annular portion radially spaced from said body means and an opposite end portion axially offset from said margin and extending transversely of and connected to said body means for resiliently biasing said annular portion and said flange relatively toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,332,130 Lefkowitz Feb. 24, 1920 1,416,745 Peters May 23, 1922 2,610,876 Roethel Sept. 16, 1952 2,628,833 Blanton Feb. 17, 1953 2,676,043 Roethel Apr. 20, 1954 2,699,346 Roethel Jan. 11, 1955 FORETGN PATENTS 285,038 Germany June 15, 1915 

